{"id":15670,"date":"2025-08-23T23:20:07","date_gmt":"2025-08-24T03:20:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/intramuralist.com\/?p=15670"},"modified":"2025-08-23T23:20:07","modified_gmt":"2025-08-24T03:20:07","slug":"what-are-we-doing-with-russia-ukraine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/intramuralist.com\/?p=15670","title":{"rendered":"what are we doing with Russia & Ukraine?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\u201cWar itself is, of course, a form of madness. It\u2019s hardly a civilized pursuit. It\u2019s amazing how we spend so much time inventing devices to kill each other and so little time working on how to achieve peace.\u201d <\/em> \u2014 Walter Cronkite<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While I do believe there is a time for everything \u2014 a season, time for every activity under heaven \u2014 clearly not every war is a just war; most indeed seem not. Most seem more that crazy, despicable form of madness. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Such no doubt is the case with Russia invading Ukraine in 2022, starting the largest and deadliest war in Europe since World War II. There was no just cause; it wasn\u2019t a last resort; and there was zero right intention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There have been tens of thousands of civilian casualties, with several thousand being children. I must admit, I appreciated Melania Trump\u2019s letter to Vladimir Putin last week, imploring the Russian President in \u201cprotecting the innocence of these children.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hence, the watching world seems felicitously unified in our number one desire here being we want this war to stop. We want it over. No more killing. We want to work more on achieving peace in Eastern Europe than extending the brutal bloodshed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But as we\u2019ve witnessed these past three and a half years, it\u2019s not all that easy to stop and solve. Hear from USC professors Robert English and Steve Swerdlow, each international relations experts with personal experience in the region. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Question: what are the biggest barriers to peace:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

English:<\/strong> \u201cNeither side is willing to end the war on terms that are acceptable to the other side. Ukraine will not agree to renounce NATO membership and still insists on reclaiming all its lost territories, including Crimea. Russia rejects both of those positions and insists on sweeping political changes in Kyiv. So, until the costs of continuing the fighting grow high enough that one or both changes these positions, the war will continue.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Swerdlow:<\/strong> \u201cPutin has turned this war into an existential fight for his own imperialist legacy, making it increasingly difficult for him to concede without appearing defeated. He has made clear that his intentions in this war are to subjugate Ukraine, deprive it of sovereignty, prevent it from having the right to join NATO. Even a temporary ceasefire is unlikely to satisfy the Kremlin\u2019s revanchist desire to expand its imperial reach. The best outcome for both Russia and Ukraine is one that reaffirms the principles at the heart of our international system: territorial integrity, sovereignty, and democracy. That would require Russia\u2019s withdrawal of forces from Ukraine\u2019s internationally recognized territory and a commitment to avoid threatening future invasion.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Clearly, achieving peace is not easy. And nothing the US or European leaders have done thus far has been lastingly effective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I thus find it fascinating all those who feel so emboldened in their Monday morning or Saturday night quarterbacking, so-to-speak, believing that this<\/em><\/strong> should be done or that<\/em><\/strong> should be done or this<\/em><\/strong> should have gone this way and that,<\/em><\/strong> that way. He should have done this.<\/em><\/strong> He shouldn\u2019t have done that. <\/em><\/strong>And we spend most of our time criticizing the playbooks of the peacemakers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Perhaps an unpopular perch, but this semi-humble, current events blogger firmly believes that if the Biden administration knew how to solve the conflict and bring about peace, they would have done so. If the Trump administration knows how to solve the conflict and bring about peace, they will do so. No doubt significant time and multiple steps are necessary. It is clearly complicated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And so with that onerous reality, I attempt to do and encourage three things in response\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recognize that each administration knows more than me. My position and perspective is way too far away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Refrain from criticizing each step in the playbook, like I somehow am empowered to know what\u2019s best, most effective and appropriate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And most importantly, in this reality, keep praying for those thousands of kids.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Respectfully\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

AR<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cWar itself is, of course, a form of madness. It\u2019s hardly a civilized pursuit. It\u2019s amazing how we spend so much time inventing devices to kill each other and so little time working on how to achieve peace.\u201d \u2014 Walter Cronkite While I do believe there is a time for everything \u2014 a season, time … <\/p>\n

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